Supply of pillows, and a device for use therein

ABSTRACT

An improvement in the process of pillow selection is described, allowing customers to select a pillow that is appropriate for them in a less random manner. First, a method of selecting a pillow for a user is disclosed, comprising the steps of locating the user with a shoulder thereof adjacent a flat rigid surface, orienting the user substantially transverse to the surface, measuring a spacing between the surface and a proximate side of the user&#39;s head, and selecting at least one pillow from a group of pillows, based on the measured spacing. The rigid surface is ideally upright, such as a wall. The group of pillows can be divided into a plurality of sub-groups, each sub-group containing a plurality of pillows with substantially like thickness. Thus, based on the reading, the user can be invited to choose any pillow from a specific group or range of pillows. Second, an apparatus for assisting in the selection of a pillow is disclosed, comprising an extending centre section located between a pair of opposing end plates, the centre section having a visible indicia indicative of a distance between the end plates. The centre section is ideally telescopic, and can comprise an inner and an outer telescopic sleeve, the visible indicia then being provided on the inner telescopic sleeve. A series of coloured bands as the visible indicia allows the relevant group of pillows to be identified easily, quickly and unambiguously.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/983,485, filed Aug. 2, 2013, which is a Section 371 National StageApplication of International Application No. PCT/GB2012/000152, filedFeb. 14, 2012, and published as WO 2012/110761, on Aug. 23, 2012, inEnglish, which claims priority to and benefits of GB Application No.1102626.7, filed Feb. 15, 2011, and GB Application No. 1105219.8, filedMar. 29, 2011, the contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to pillows, and sets out a method for theselection of an appropriate pillow and apparatus for use therein.

BACKGROUND ART

A pillow is an essential part of healthy sleep. By “pillow”, we mean asupport for the head, usable while sleeping in a bed. In most cases,pillows are cushioned, i.e. padded and therefore compliant to somedegree, with a varying degree of softness, but this is not universallythe case.

Internally, most pillows comprise a filler made from foam, syntheticfills, feathers, down, buckwheat (and polymeric imitations), cotton,air, or a suitable fluid. The fill is surrounded with a cover or shellmade of cloth or silk, known as the pillow case or pillow slip.

Pillows can be used to provide support for the head while sleeping, toprevent the head from drooping. If such support is not provided, thenneck and head discomfort can result and sleep can be disturbed. Bothwill have undesirable effects on the sufferer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the need to provide not only support,but also an appropriate level of support. Generally, most people choosea pillow based on aesthetic qualities, degree of compliance, and brand.Once purchased, pillows will then be regarded as either “comfortable” or“uncomfortable” by the owner, seemingly at random. Often, a customerwith sleeping difficulties will try several pillows before finding onethat is “comfortable” and which gives an acceptable night's sleep.Whilst this repeated purchasing is beneficial for the pillow suppliers,it is wasteful of the customer's time and money, and unnecessarilyprolongs the period of poor sleeping. It is therefore inefficient.

The present invention therefore seeks to improve upon the process ofpillow selection, allowing customers to select a pillow that isappropriate for them in a less random manner. In its first aspect, theinvention therefore provides a method of selecting a pillow for a user,comprising the steps of locating the user with a shoulder thereofadjacent an upright flat rigid surface, orienting the user substantiallytransverse to the surface, measuring a spacing between the surface and aproximate side of the user's head, and selecting at least one pillowfrom a group of pillows, based on the measured spacing.

The upright nature of the surface makes the process more comfortable andconvenient for the user. This avoids the need to recline the user, andlimits the amount of space necessary to take the measurement therebymaking it feasible for use in a wide range of retail establishments. Awall provides a convenient surface.

The method of the invention can use an apparatus as defined below (inrelation to the second aspect) to determine the necessary measurement.Alternatively, a time-of-flight device such as a laser measuring deviceor an ultrasonic measuring device can be used. These devices send apulse of light, sound, or other travelling wave which is reflected offthe head, the wall, or other adjacent surface and the time of flight ofthe travelling wave is measured. Combined with prior knowledge of thespeed of the travelling wave, this yields the distance. It is alsopossible to use a linear scale such as a ruler or callipers, but theseare usually less convenient.

The group of pillows can be divided into a plurality of sub-groups, eachsub-group containing a plurality of pillows with substantially likethickness. Thus, based on the reading, the user can be invited to chooseany pillow from a specific group or range of pillows. The pillowspreferably carry a visible indicia indicating the sub-group to whichthey each belong. This indicia can match the coloured or numeric markingon bands provided on the telescopic measuring apparatus.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to an item of apparatus forassisting in the selection of a pillow. Such an item allows the deltoidtemporal distance (i.e. the distance between the outer extremity of theshoulder muscle and the temporal bone) to be measured with ease, whichwe have found to be important in determining the correct pillow for theperson concerned.

The item comprises an extending centre section located between a pair ofopposing end plates, the centre section having a visible indiciaindicative of a distance between the end plates. The centre section isideally telescopic, and can comprise an inner and an outer telescopicsleeve, the visible indicia then being provided on the inner telescopicsleeve. A series of coloured or numbered bands as the visible indiciaallows the relevant group of pillows to be identified easily, quicklyand unambiguously.

The end plates of the device are preferably flat, but can be suitablycontoured if preferred. The can be wider than the diameter or thicknessof the centre section, thereby providing the operator with an easy meansof manipulation. Alternatively, they can simply be end caps of thecentre section.

It is possible to design the device such that one end plate has adimension transverse to the centre section that is greater than that ofthe other end plate. In this way, the end plate can provide a flat rigidsurface to abut against the outside of the shoulder, and measurementscan be carried out anywhere. Alternatively, the person can standadjacent a wall, for the device to measure the gap between the side ofthe head and the wall and this determine the deltoid temporal distance.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a method ofquantifying the thickness of a pillow according to a scale that can bereliable and consistent. Thus, the present invention provides a methodof measuring a linear dimension of a pillow, comprising the steps ofapplying a predetermined compressive force to at least part of thepillow and measuring the thickness of the thus compressed pillow. Thecompressive force is preferably applied between a pair of jaws, one ofwhich can be static and one of which can be moveable thereby to applythe force. One of the jaws can be resiliently deformable, in the mannerof a mattress. The thickness of the compressed pillow can be measured bydetermining the spacing of the jaws after application of the force. Aproximity sensor can be used in order to do so, if desired.

According to the third aspect, a corresponding apparatus is provided.Such apparatus could comprise a first planar surface and a second planarsurface between which a pillow is placeable, a means for exerting acompressive force between the two surfaces, and a means for determiningthe spacing between the surfaces. A ballast weight is a convenient meansfor exerting the compressive force.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying figures in which;

FIG. 1 shows a user being measured for a pillow according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of the pillow selection tool;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the pillow selection tool in an extendedstate;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the pillow selection tool, in a compressedstate; and

FIG. 5 shows a view of an apparatus for determining the thickness of apillow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention seeks to make efficiencies in the selection andsupply of pillows, by making it possible to match a pillow to itsintended recipient. As described above, this is mainly done on arelatively random basis in that the need to match a pillow to a user isinsufficiently appreciated, and the means to measure a user withaccuracy is absent. In a nutshell, currently there is no standardisationof pillows and generally one does not know what height pillow is rightfor any individual. Pillows are usually bought on the basis of feeland/or trial and error.

About 70% of the population sleeps on their side. The function of apillow is primarily to support the head and allow correct alignment ofthe body, and in particular the spine, when one is lying down. Byaccurately measuring the individual, in particular the deltoid temporaldistance, the correct pillow size can be advised.

Thus, the overall concept is to:

-   -   1. Standardise pillow heights into different sizes or size        groups,    -   2. Measure individuals to identify their correct pillow size,        based on their deltoid temporal distance,    -   3. Dispense a pillow suited to the individual in question.

As mentioned above, this requires that there be an adequate way ofmeasuring an individual's correct pillow size. FIGS. 1 to 4 show thepillow sizer of the present invention, and how it can be used to measurean individual for their correct pillow size. As shown in FIG. 1, thepillow sizer measures the distance between the outer part of anindividual's shoulder and their head. This is, in practice, the distancebetween the outer part of the deltoid muscle and the temporal bone, i.e.the deltoid-temporal distance. The individual 10 is measured whilestanding up or sitting facing forward, with their shoulder 14 abutting asmooth vertical surface such as a wall 16, standing transverse to thewall 16. The pillow sizer 12 measures the distance between the wall 16and the near side of individual's head 18 the measurement taken (A)corresponds to a particular standardised pillow size.

This yields an ideal thickness for the pillow. A pillow which, in use,adopts this thickness will support the individual's head when they lieon their side such that the head is in line with the spine and (hence)the spine and neck are horizontal. This avoids imposing a strain ordeformation on the spine and/or neck, both of which are associated withdiscomfort and poor sleep. The standardised pillows are then dispensedaccording to the size required.

Pillows are of course soft, to varying degrees, and therefore compresswhen a head is placed on them. Therefore, it is the thickness whencompressed which is particularly relevant. Generally, this is related tothe thickness when uncompressed, in that the mass or weight of a headscales with the measured shoulder dimension. Thus, a single size groupmay include a relatively softer but thicker pillow and a relativelyfirmer but thinner pillow, both of which compress under the weight of ahead to approximately the same thickness.

FIGS. 2 to 4 show the pillow sizer 12 in detail. It comprises a pair offlat end plates 20, 22 between which extends a telescopic centre section24. The end plates 20, 22 are attached on either end of the telescopicsection 24, and thus move away from and toward each other as thetelescopic section 24 extends and retracts.

The telescopic centre section 24 itself comprises a cylindrical innersleeve 26 and a hollow cylindrical outer sleeve 28. The inner sleeve 26sits within the outer sleeve 28 and can slide back and forth, with adegree of friction to allow the position of the pillow sizer 12 to beretained for a short period, to allow a reading to be taken. Thus, oneend plate 20 is attached to the free end of the outer sleeve 28 whilstthe other end plate 22 is attached to the free end of the inner sleeve26.

The inner sleeve is marked on its outer cylindrical face with a seriesof graduations 30 a, 30 b, 30 c (etc). Each graduation extends over adefined longitudinal length of the inner sleeve 26 and ends adjacent thenext graduation. Thus, graduation 30 a extends over a short distance ofabout 10 mm from (in this example) the end of the inner sleeve at thejunction with the end plate 22. The next graduation 30 b extends fromthe edge of the graduation 30 a along the length of the inner sleeve fora further 10 mm or so. Graduation 30 c extends for a further 10 mm orso, likewise. Two further graduations 30 d, 30 e are also provided inthis example, but are not visible in FIG. 2 as they are concealed withinthe outer sleeve 28. They are instead visible in FIG. 3 which shows aside view of the sizer 12 in its fully extended state. Generally, thegraduations can be of between about 10 mm and about 25 mm in length, andneed not necessarily all be equal.

The graduations 30 x are printed on the inner sleeve 26 in differentcolours, preferably easily identified primary and secondary colours.This makes it a straightforward matter to view the sizer 12 after sizingand identify the size group indicated. Other visible indicia such asletters, numbers, patterns or combinations therefore could be used,however.

Thus, the sizer is capable of measuring a range of distances. Theminimum distance is C₁+C₂+S where C₁ is the thickness of the end cap 20,C₂ is the thickness of the end cap 22, and S is the length of the longerof the two sleeves 28. The maximum distance is C₁+C₂+2S, assuming thatthe inner sleeve 26 and outer sleeve 28 are the same length. Byappropriate selection of these dimensions and appropriate placing of thegraduations 30 x, the colour bands can be made to correspond to usefulsize ranges of pillows. The approximate dimensions which we have foundto be particularly useful are as follows:

-   -   Thickness of both end caps: 4 mm    -   Length of outer sleeve: 80 mm    -   Length of inner sleeve: 100 mm    -   Width of graduations between 10 mm and 25 mm

It will of course be desirable to adopt a standard measurement for thethickness of a pillow, which can be compared to the thickness that isidentified as being suitable for the individual customer after they havebeen measured. What matters is not especially the thickness of thepillow when uncompressed, but the thickness of the pillow while it issupporting the user during sleep. In other words, the importantdimension of the pillow is that after compression by a weightapproximately equal to that of the user's head. This will be related tothe uncompressed thickness of the pillow by the hardness of the pillowand by the weight of the head, with only the latter being known(approximately).

Thus, we wish to quantify the thickness of a pillow according to a scalethat can be reliable and consistent. A method of doing so is to measurea linear dimension of a pillow (typically its thickness) after applyinga predetermined compressive force to at least part of the pillow. Thethickness of the thus compressed pillow can then be measured. Thecompressive force is ideally approximately the same as the weight of atypical user's head, typically between 3.5 kg and 5.5 kg. It ispreferably applied between a pair of jaws, one of which can be staticand one of which can be moveable (thereby to apply the force). Thethickness of the compressed pillow can be measured by determining thespacing of the jaws after application of the force. A proximity sensorcan be used in order to do so, if desired.

FIG. 5 shows an apparatus 10 for doing so. It comprises a first planarsurface 12, which is the stationary upper face of a base unit 14 thatcan sit on a floor or other suitable location, or can be integrated intoa worktop or the like. A second planar surface 16 is provided, oppositethe first planar surface 12 and between which a pillow is placeable. Thesecond planar surface 16 is a lower face of a moveable arm 18 which ismounted on an upright 20 so that it is freely moveable toward and awayfrom the first planar surface 12, in the direction of arrow 22. Themoveable arm 18 includes a ballast weight 24 such that its total weightcorresponds to the predetermined weight under which the pillow'sthickness is to be measured. The ballast weight could be replaceable orsupplementable with one of a range of ballast weights, to reflect theapproximate head weight of a particular user. The weight could be chosenbased on a customer's measured dimension, as physically larger userstend to have heavier heads.

Thus, the moveable arm 18 is lifted, the pillow is placed beneath it,and the arm 18 is then released or lowered onto the pillow.

Alternatively, a drive means and a force sensor could be integrated intothe upright 20. The drive means would move the arm 18 up and down, andthe force sensor would control the drive means under a negative feedbackloop such that once a predetermined force is being exerted, the drivemeans would stop at that point. This would obviate the need for thefixed weight, but at the cost of additional complexity.

A proximity measuring device 26 is built into base unit 14. This detectsthe distance between the first and second planar surfaces 12, 16. It canbe a laser, optical, contact type, ultra sonic, eddy current, Halleffect or an X-ray device, or any other like device. This then producesa signal indicative of the distance, which is displayed as a digitalreadout on a display 28. The first planar surface 12, under which theproximity sensor is attached, could be a rigid flat surface or adeformable surface with compressive properties similar to a mattress, torepresent a pillow on a bed. Indeed, the first planar surface 12 couldbe a section of mattress.

Thus, the pillow to be measured is placed on the bench directly over theproximity measuring device. The weight with the upper sensor plateattached is lowered onto the pillow. When the weight has rested on thepillow for a set period of time the reading of the compressed pillowheight can be gleaned from the digital read out.

In this way, pillows could be sized in advance of sale and packaged (orotherwise marked) with an indicia showing the size range into which theyfall. This could then be correlated with a customer's measureddimension. Alternatively, a customer could be measured and then devicethen used in situ in the retail establishment to test one or morecandidate pillows in order to identify one that is suitable, adjustingthe ballast weight as required (if desired).

It will of course be understood that many variations may be made to theabove-described embodiment without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. An apparatus for measuring a deltoid temporal distance, comprising atelescopic centre section located between a pair of opposing end plateswhich can move away from and toward each other as the centre sectionextends and retracts, the centre section having a series of graduationsmarked on its outer face to indicate a distance between the end platesand wherein one end plate has a dimension transverse to the centresection that is greater than that of the other end plate, the dimensionproviding a flat rigid surface configured to abut against an outside ofa shoulder muscle of a user for measuring the deltoid temporal distance.2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which the centre section istelescopic.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which thetelescopic centre section comprises an inner and an outer telescopicsleeve, the visible indicia being provided on the inner telescopicsleeve.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which the visibleindicia comprises a series of bands.
 5. The apparatus according to claim4 in which the bands are coloured.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 4in which the bands are numbered.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1in which the end plates are flat.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1in which the end plates are wider than the transverse dimension of thecentre section.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 1 in combinationwith a plurality of pillows of different thicknesses, the pillows beinggrouped into a plurality of sub-groups, each sub-group containing aplurality of pillows with substantially like thickness, the pillowscarrying a visible indicia indicating the sub-group to which they belongwhich matches a corresponding indicia provided on the centre section ofthe apparatus.